Pokar, et al.

, International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

Research Paper

SMALL SCALE MODELLING ON EFFECT OF SOFT

STOREY
1

Narendra Pokar, 2Prof. B. J. Panchal, 3Prof. B.A. Vyas

Address for Correspondence

1

M.E, Civil (CASAD), L.D. Collage of Engineering, Ahmedabad

2
Professor, applied mechanics department, Modasa Collage of Engineering, Modasa
3
Professor, applied mechanics department, L.D .Collage of Engineering, Ahmedabad
ABSTRACT:
Parking facilities in high rise buildings is essential now days. When hollow ground storey is created for parking; it results in
a soft story. Soft storey buildings are highly venerable under seismic loading. It has been noted that, several structures were
damaged or entirely collapsed during the past earthquakes in all over the world due to presence of soft storey. Behavior of
soft story plays important role to modify the predicted response and performance of the structure under seismic loading.
Testing of scaled models is essential to arrive at optimal analytical model and special design provisions for such structures.
The aim of present work is to understand the behavior of soft storey RCC framed low rise structure by analytical. 2 bay
Ground plus 4 stories RCC framed structure is considered for the soft storey behavior study. Structure is modeled and
analyzed using SAP platform including seismic effect. Small scale model is derived. Structure is modeled and analyzed
using SAP platform including seismic effect.
KEYWORDS: Seismic behavior, Soft storey, Small scale modeling, R.C.C. frame structure

1. INTRODUCTION
The poor performance and hence the high level of
structural damages in the number of building
structures during the frequent earthquakes happened
in our country by the last decade, increased the need
to the determination and evaluation of the damages in
the building type of structures, so much more than
ever before. The most destructive and unfortunately
the most general irregularity in building structures
that lead to collapse is certainly the soft story
irregularity. Provision for commercial and parking
areas with higher story heights and less infill walls
reduce the stiffness of the lateral load resisting
system at that story and progressive collapse becomes
unavoidable in a severe earthquake for such
buildings. This situation has been verified for all of
the building structures with soft stories,
independently from good quality of construction and
design.
One can predict the behaviour of such irregular
structures by testing small scale models on shake
table. We often use models instead of full-scaled
objects (prototypes) as Civil Engineering structures
being giant in size are difficult to test. So to make
testing easy small scaled model are used. Small scale
models are easy to build, install and test in a
Laboratory. Although it may be difficult to model all
details, many times there is no alternative to use
models. Small scale models give accurate results
within elastic range.
2. SOFT STOREY BEHAVIOR
In general, the vertical irregularities of building
structures may be categorized as weak storey, soft
storey, discontinuity of vertical elements and mass
irregularity. Although weak and soft storey
irregularities may cause similar structural damages in
an earthquake, these two irregularity types are quite
different in definition. A weak storey is defined by
comparing the effective shear areas of the lateral
force resisting systems of adjacent stories; on the
other hand, the soft storey irregularity is defined by
comparing the stiffness of the lateral force resisting
systems of adjacent stories. In other words, the
difference between the soft and weak storey
irregularity can be explained by considering the
difference between stiffness and strength. Moreover,
the changes in the element dimensions may affect
Int J Adv Engg Tech/IV/III/July-Sept.,2013/53-55

both. Lateral displacement of a storey is a function of

stiffness, mass and lateral force distributed on that
storey. It is also known that the lateral force
distribution along the height of a building is directly
related to mass and stiffness of each storey. During
an earthquake, if abnormal inter-story drifts between
adjacent stories occur the lateral forces cannot be
well distributed along the height of the structure. This
situation causes the lateral forces to concentrate on
the storey (or stories) having large displacement(s).

Fig.1 Soft storey failure

In addition, if the local ductility demands are not met

in the design of such a building structure for that
story and the inter-story drifts are not limited, a local
failure mechanism or, even worse, a story failure
mechanism, which may lead to the collapse of the
system, may be formed due to the high level of
load- deformation (P-=) effects. Figure 2 displays
the collapse mechanism of such building structure
with a soft story under both earthquake and gravity
loads.

Fig. 2 Soft storey mechanism

3. SMALL SCALE MODEL

A structural model is defined as any physical
representation of a structure or a portion of a
structure.
The use of small-scale models by
engineers and builders dates many hundreds and even
thousands of years. However, these early models
were primarily aids for planning and constructing
structures and were not useful for predicting
deformations and strengths of prototypes.
Similitude is a tool to establish the sufficient and
necessary condition of similarity between models and
prototypes, using which test setup is adjusted. It helps
to understand under laying principles for proper

Pokar, et al., International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

design, construction and result interpretation.

interpre
The
theory of similitude includes a consideration of the
condition under which the behavior of two separate
entities or systems (model and prototype) will be
similar. The similarity is essentially proportionality.
Following two figures are geometrically
cally similar with
following relation.

Ab:AB=bc:BC=cd:CD=da:DA
Table 1.1 Scale factor for different quantity
uantity*5

E
E-ISSN 0976-3945

1.

Basic RCC
CC full scale model without infill at all
floor. (M1)
2. Basic RCC full scale model with infill at 1st,2nd,
3rd and 4th floor.(M2)
3. Basic RCC full scale with infill at 1st, 2nd, 3rd
and 4th floor and braces at ground floor. (M3)
4. RCC Small
mall scale model with no infill at ground
floor. (M4)
5. Steel Small scale model with no infill at ground
floor. (M5)
M1, M2 and M3 model are analyzed using different
load combinations including Response spectrum and
Time history of Bhuj 2001 earthquake. M4 and M5
models are small scale model with 1/16.66 scale ratio
so they are analysis with scaled time history as per
similitude rules.

Fig. 3.Time history

5. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

1. From comparison of M1 and M2 model we get
following results for displacement.
4. PROBLEM FORMATION
In present study, G+4 RCC framed structure located
in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat state of India (seismic
(
zone III), is considered. Plan Size is 10 x 10 m with
two bays 5 m each with storey height 3m.
3 Depth of
foundation is 2 m. Slab thickness is 150 mm.
mm Beam
size 230 mm x 450 mm (Over All) are used. Material
M20 concrete and Fe415 steel are considered. All
walls are 230 mm thick brick masonry. Parapet walls
are 230 mm and 1m high brick masonry. Floor
Finish is taken 1 kN/m2 and Terrace finish is 2
kN/m2.
Following four models are prepared on SAP 2000
platform.

Chart 1 Comparison of displacement with and without

infill

Table 2 Comparison of displacements of M1 and M2

Table 3 Result comparison of displacement in small scale model

So due to infill 32 to 84% reduction

on in displacement
is observed. Also reduction in displacement at ground
floor due to braces is observed.
2. From analysis of model M4 we get following
displacement results at each floor. Results shows that
the displacement at each floor for small scale model
Int J Adv Engg Tech/IV/III/July-Sept.,2013/53
53-55

is very near to that of full model.

DISSCUSSION
Building with masonry infill in upper floors
only shows a sudden change in slope of
displacement in X-direction.
direction. This is because
of change in storey stiffness. Due to which

Pokar, et al., International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

greater strength is required for first storey

columns, which is minimized in building
with masonry infill in upper floors and with
increased column stiffness of bottom story
by increasing the column size of first storey
also by incorporating masonry panel in
central bay on all four sides.
By modelling of small scale model for high
rise buildings we may predict the behaviour
of soft storey in case of earthquake. It will
help to prepare model in laboratory by
scaling.
Results for both steel and RCC model gives
nearest result for full scale model. So to
predict or to build a physical small scale
model in laboratory it will very useful.
Any important building or structure can be
analyse by preparing small scale model in
laboratory and test it.
REFERENCES
1.

2.

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4.

5.

Structural Analysis Program SAP2000. Users

manual, Computers and Structures, Inc., Berkeley,
Calif.
Dr. Saraswati Setia and Vineet Sharma Seismic
Response of R.C.C Building with Soft Storey
International Journal of Applied Engineering Research,
ISSN 0973-4562 Vol.7 No.11 (2012)
D. Guney* and E. Aydin ,The Nonlinear Effect of Infill
Walls Stiffness to Prevent Soft Story Collapse of RC
Structures, The Open Construction and Building
Technology Journal, 2012, 6, (Suppl 1-M5) 74-80
Mehmet Inel and Hayri B Ozmen, effect of infill walls
on soft story behavior in mid-rise rc buildings, The
14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China.
Structural modelling and experimental techniques by
Harry G.Harish and Gajanan M. sabnish.

Int J Adv Engg Tech/IV/III/July-Sept.,2013/53-55

E-ISSN 0976-3945